How many physical therapists are there in the united states

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Physical Therapists are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Physical Therapists, see the Create Customized Tables function. Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Physical Therapists:.

Menu Search button Search:. Occupational Employment and Wages, May Physical Therapists Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Physical Therapists: Industry Employment 1 Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage 2 Offices of Other Health Practitioners 78, 8. The average age of male Physical therapists in the workforce is This chart shows the gender breakdown of Physical therapists.

Representing This chart shows the racial and ethnic breakdown of Physical therapists. The median age of Physical therapists is Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Physical therapists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Physical therapists need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and Speaking. The year national workforce is projected to grow 3.

This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average. This line chart shows the projected year growth in the number of jobs for Physical Therapists. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3. Add Comparison.

Physical therapists who have completed a residency program may choose to specialize further by participating in a fellowship in an advanced clinical area. The American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education has directories of physical therapist residency and fellowship programs.

All states require physical therapists to be licensed, which includes passing the National Physical Therapy Examination administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. Other requirements vary by state. For example, some states also require a law exam and a criminal background check.

Continuing education is typically required for physical therapists to keep their license. Check with your state board for specific licensing requirements. After gaining work experience, some physical therapists choose to become a board-certified specialist.

The American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties offers certification in clinical specialty areas of physical therapy, such as orthopedics, sports, and geriatrics. Board specialist certification requires passing an exam and completing clinical work in the specialty area. Communication skills. Physical therapists spend a lot of time interacting with patients, so they should have a desire to help people. They work with people who are in pain and must have empathy for their patients.

Detail oriented. Physical therapists must use their hands to provide manual therapy and therapeutic exercises. They should feel comfortable massaging and otherwise physically assisting patients. Physical stamina. Physical therapists spend much of their time on their feet, moving to demonstrate proper techniques and to help patients perform exercises. They should enjoy physical activity.

Physical therapists customize treatment plans for patients. They must be flexible and adapt plans of care to meet the needs of each patient. Time-management skills. Physical therapists typically treat several patients each day. They must be able to provide appropriate care to patients as well as complete administrative tasks, such as documenting patient progress. Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.

Source: U. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. In May , the median annual wages for physical therapists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:.

Most physical therapists work full time. Although most therapists work during normal business hours, some work evenings or weekends. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program. Demand for physical therapy will come in part from the large number of aging baby boomers, who are staying more active later in life than their counterparts of previous generations. Older people are more likely to experience heart attacks, strokes, and mobility-related injuries that require physical therapy for rehabilitation.

In addition, a number of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, have become more prevalent in recent years. More physical therapists will be needed to help these patients maintain their mobility and manage the effects of chronic conditions.

Advances in medical technology have increased the use of outpatient surgery to treat a variety of injuries and illnesses. Medical and technological developments also are expected to permit survival of a greater number of trauma victims and newborns with birth defects, creating additional demand for rehabilitative care.

Physical therapists will continue to help these patients recover from surgery. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.

The link s below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area. All state projections data are available at www. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area.

There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code. This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of physical therapists. Chiropractors treat patients with health problems of the neuromusculoskeletal system, which includes nerves, bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons.

Occupational therapists treat patients who have injuries, illnesses, or disabilities through the therapeutic use of everyday activities.

Physical therapist assistants and aides are supervised by physical therapists to help patients regain movement and manage pain after injuries and illnesses.